Your group does catalog sales of a three-pound tub of cookie dough. Average retail price is $10 per three-pound tub. The dough comes in a wide variety of flavors, including some that are sugar free.
Some suppliers are now offering the dough in pre-sliced packages to further simplify the baking process.
Others are offering it in a dry mix that doesn't need to be refrigerated. All you do is add water, mix by hand, and you have your cookie dough ready for baking.
Profitability Most fundraising companies offer the three-pound tubs of cookie dough at a 40%-50% discount. Some suppliers also offer a larger four-pond tub for slightly more.
Cookie dough needs to be refrigerated, so this fundraiser requires a little more delivery preparation. Kids like selling this because it's something that they enjoy themselves.
The average seller makes ten sales or approximately $100 in revenue. That translates to roughly $50 in profit per seller, which is quite good.
Factors affecting your cookie dough fundraiser profitability include freight charges, quantity discounts, quality of the brochure, number of available cookie dough choices, and the need to keep the dough refrigerated. This product works well for both elementary school and high school fundraising.
Larger groups can easily earn a quantity discount above 50%. As always, do an RFQ fax quote to the supplier list and get your best possible discount up front.
Sales Tips Here's what they need to do to sell:
- Smile, use their name in greeting, and introduce yourself - Use the power of "because" (give a reason why) - Ask for their help (ask for the order) - Make eye contact and suggest a favorite
Example sales script: (Keep it short and sweet)
Hi, Mrs. Johnson! (Smile and make eye contact)
I'm Jimmy Roberts from down the street. (Hand over sales flyer with large bold print)
Our school is doing a cookie dough fundraiser because we need new computers.
Can you help us out with a $10 contribution? That gets you a three-pound tub of cookie dough. My favorite is the chocolate chip, but peanut butter is real popular too!
(Pause and wait for a response)
The important points are to smile, use a sales flyer, use the word because, ask for their help, and suggest an order size, then wait for a response.
Each prospect has a potential dollar value to your organization. Don't waste prospects by not being prepared. Make sure all your sellers know what to say and how to say it.
Cookie dough fundraisers are one of the best fudraising programs you can do. Almost everyone likes cookie dough and it is one of the best values for your customers in the fundraising world. As cookie dough fundraisers have gotten more popular over recent years however, the degree of success you will have will depend on how well your sellers buy into your cause or it rest on how good your incentives for sales are.
EVERYONE likes cookies and cookie dough. I love cookies, don't you? Both you and I would be hard pressed to think of even one person who does not like at least one flavor of cookie dough. Cookie dough when sold in a cookie dough fundraiser, seems to have more of an emotional impact on the sellers than candles or Christmas wrap! People just seem to get excited about it.
One of the first things that you should do before sending your sellers home with their cookie dough fundraiser brochures is spend a little time training them. Not everyone is a born salesman, but with proper preparation everyone can sell cookie dough.
Cookie dough will just about sell itself. All it needs is a little exposure to potential customers from your sellers.
1.) Smile
Teach your volunteers to smile when talking to customers. A smiling face always has more successful sales than one that does not smile.
2.) Eye Contact
Eye contact creates an intimacy between two people. Eye contact has been proven to be a significant factor in the persuasion process of sales. So teach your volunteers to look them in the eye when presenting their pitch.
3.) Use the word "Because"
There is a great deal of power in that word. It expresses a need, pulls on the heartstrings of your customer, and is a factor in making a sale. Teach your sales people how to make use of this word.
4.) Ask for the sale
Many times a customer will purchase if you simply use a statement designed to ask for the sale.
5.) Use a favorite item
Encourage your sales people to pick a favorite item and suggest it when selling.
Create a simple script incorporating each point above and rehearse with your volunteers until they are comfortable. Your cookie dough supplier may even have a preprinted script that you can use or adapt to your own needs.
A smile on the face, effective eye contact, a colorful brochure and the use of the word "because" to let people know about your needs, along with a simple and sincere request for the sale are key ingredients to producing cookie dough fundraiser sales. Teach these necessary components to your sales force and watch the sales rack up.
Both Greg Reynolds & Juan Franco are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.